‘Little Lord Fauntleroy’ comes to Princeton

Published in the December 8, 2010, issue

Courtesy of the Princeton University Library Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

Harry Potter continues to be a box-office success, but 125 years ago another story written by an English-born author was achieving wide acclaim: “Little Lord Fauntleroy,” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. An exhibition in Firestone Library’s main gallery includes the autograph manuscript of the story, first published as a magazine serial. The library had the bulk of the manuscript in its collections, but a missing chapter was obtained two years ago from Burnett’s descendants. At left is a photo of Burnett’s son Vivian wearing one of two Little Lord Fauntleroy suits that his mother made for him; one of the suits is on display. The Fauntleroy suit – of velvet, lace, and silk – caused a fashion sensation. The exhibition runs through Jan. 2.